JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 25 HE shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness.— Jer. xxiii. 6. HE, Christ, is the priest, and the propitiation, and the sacrifice; and this propitiation comes to every one by way of faith.—Origen. * This is the ONLY SOLID ROCK. This Rock did Satan shake in Paradise, when he persuaded our first parents that, by their own wisdom and power, they might become "like unto God;" hereby seducing them to renounce their faith in God, who had given them life, and the promise of its continuance. The kingdom of Satan is to be withstood by this doctrine, all-powerful as it is heavenly. Whether we be rude or eloquent-whether we be learned or unlearned-this Rock must be defended, this doctrine must be published abroad in words of fire.-Luther. We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings.-Church of England, Art. XI. Like Noah's dove, no rest I find, Toplady. "I am a sinner, saved by the mercy of God in Christ. By nature I am impure and unholy. Nothing in me, no merit of mine, could make me the object of God's distinguishing grace. ** I beheld myself a lost and undone soul, lying with a multitude in a world of wickedness, subject to the just wrath of God. But I at the same time heard of the offer made to a perishing world by the Saviour, CHRIST. I beheld the whole world overwhelmed by a flood of sin and misery, and the Ark of Redemption floating on the waters. Every page of the Gospel shewed me that there was no salvation but by the Ark of Christ; that His atonement on the Cross was the only atonement for my past and future sins; that His gracious Spirit, influencing my soul, was the only preservative from my evil passions, and from an ensnaring world; and that His mediation alone procures our access to God, and warrants an answer to our prayers."-Obeck, Calcutta, 1803. C IT T is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.-Rom. ix. 16. THE doctrine of our Church maintains, that no man can glorify God by his works until he be restored to the favour of God through that faith which justifies his person; that, until the heart be purified by the grace of God, and the motives of action be under the influence of His Spirit, we can neither glorify God in our business, nor in our devotions, neither in solitude nor in a tumult, neither by abstinence nor by festivity. Our works, however, will ever testify our faith, of what sort it is; whether it be a general belief in Christianity, which is common to good and bad men, or a true and lively faith wrought in the heart by the Spirit of God, and “leading the soul captive to the obedience of Christ."-C. Buchanan. The kingdom of heaven is not the hire of works, but the grace of the Lord, prepared for His faithful servants.-Macarius. How vain the hopes the sons of men Let Jew and Gentile stop their mouths, And the whole race of Adam stand Others may glory in what they please; I will glory in nothing else but JESUS CHRIST, and HIM CRUCIFIED! Should I presume to rely upon my own virtue, I must soon despair. Though I heartily wish to obey God, and follow the example of my Saviour; though I will stedfastly endeavour, by the grace of God, to subdue my inclination to sin; yet, in all this, there is, and ever will be, imperfection; so that I dare not stand upon so rotten a ground. But, "to win Christ, and to be found in Him, in life, in death, in the day of judgment," was St. Paul's wish, has been the wish of every true Christian, and shall be mine as long as I breathe.-Schwartz. A Greek pilgrim, one of a multitude who had come for baptism in the Jordan (as it is termed), being asked by the Rev. C. Sandreczki whether he believed that the water-immersion could wash out his sins, replied "We have been to Mar Saba, and the monks there told us we must go to the Jordan to be cleansed from our sins. We are ignorant people, and must believe what we are told to believe."-1853. THE GRAND MISSION. 27 NEITHER came I of myself, but He sent me.— John viii. 42. DOTH any one ask, "Where is the authority for missionary exertions?" Behold; it stands upon the authority of the Most High God. The Lord Jesus Christ is the angel-the messenger of the Covenant. The ministers of the Gospel are " Ambassadors for Christ.” Behold, He, the Redeemer, saith, speaking of Himself, "I proceeded forth, and came from God; neither came I of myself, but He sent me." The grand Mission, then, was that of God the Father to a world lying in wickedness, misery, and death. The grand Missionary was the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of the Father. He came on a commission of mercy, as the Prince of Peace; came from heaven down to earth, from honour to dishonour, from glory to indignity, from adoration to contempt, from a throne to a manger, from homage to persecution; from a crown to a cross, from life to death; to save the souls of men.-Basil Woodd, Church Missionary Sermon. Rise, Saviour, rise! Ascend Thy throne, Rend the high heavens! In light descend! The Apostles themselves were the missionaries of Christ, as their name imports. The Saviour sent them forth to "preach the Gospel to all nations." Other ministers were ordained to teach and rule particular Churches; but the commission of the Apostles reached to the whole world. And in this, at least, they had no successors; for none were ever thus sent forth immediately by Christ himself to make "disciples of all nations." It appears, also, to me, that Timothy, Titus, Trophimus, Tychicus, and others (who seem to have been designated by the name "Evangelists"), were missionaries sent forth by the Apostles, or by the Church, or by both in perfect concord. They were assistants to the Apostles in executing their grand and extensive mission * they were their helpers * * in the work of evangelizing the nations. They had no stated charges, at least at first, but were employed in extending, as they could, the kingdom of Christ among men.-Rev. T. Scott. 28 I CHRIST THE LIGHT. AM come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness.John xii. 46. THE light of Christ's divinity makes and measures out the day of eternity. He is not only light in Himself, but a light to others; a supernatural light of saving knowledge-to dispel and drive away the mist of ignorance, and the blackness of darkness of sin. -Bishop Brownrig. If a man, whose body was radiant and bright as the sun, were walking through a land of Egyptian darkness, all who followed him would actually walk in the light; and the closer they kept to him, the clearer would the light be, and the safer their road. He who follows Christ, follows one from whom light streams upon the road we are to go, laying bare its hidden pitfalls, discovering its stumbling stones, showing all its turnings and windings, and enabling us to walk safely, surely, and cheerfully on our way. But it is only those who thus "follow Christ," that find light in Him. * Their path is "like the shining light, shining more and more unto the perfect day;" because they are keeping close after and coming nearer to Him, who is the day-star of the soul.-W. W. Champneys. There is nothing worth living for of equal importance with the diffusion of this light. Fulfil ye, then, the Divine command"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." We must all meet at a future day, in a larger assembly, when we shall behold Him, who hath said, "I am the light of the world." Let every one of us, then, at this time, "bear witness to the light," by contributing, according to our ability, to its extension throughout the world; for we know not how great a blessing may, "through the tender mercy of God," result to ourselves and others, from the circumstances of this service. Let it not be our reproach, that we have seen the light of civilization, and have not seen the " Light of Life."-C. Buchanan, Church Missionary Sermon, 1811. THE LORD OUR STRENGTH. 29 29 MY strength is made perfect in weakness.—2 Cor. xii. 9. THE more we see and feel our own weakness, the more firm we stand in the power of God.-Haweis. Christ alone is army and forces enough: and with Him we can never have too many enemies.-J. Hales. ¶O LOVING Lord and most gentle Saviour, Thou seest our weakness, misery, and no strength. Thou knowest again the valour, might, and power of our adversaries. . . . Notwithstanding, Lord, we do not despair. For although there be not so great strength in us, that we may be able to resist this great company that cometh against us, yet have we this one refuge and succour, even to lift up our eyes to Thee, and to say, Our help cometh from the Lord our God, who made heaven and earth. If God be on our side, who can be against us? The battle, O Lord God, is Thine.— Becon. Great God! There is no safety here below; 'Tis Thou, that strik'st the stroke, must guard the blow. Thou art my God; by Thee I fall or stand; F. Quarles. As long as the Lord permits, I will do His work without fear of the world, or of the pride of its oppressors. My own strength is nothingness itself, and I know the power of my adversaries; but I know likewise that I can do everything through Christ strengthening me. Oh, my beloved brothers, the Gospel receives this power from the blood of Christ, that the most cruel persecutors, instead of arresting, do but help forward its progress. Those ... alone are the true soldiers of Jesus who do not fear to bear in their body the wounds of their Master. All my travail has but one endto make known the inexhaustible treasures of bliss which Christ has purchased for us, that all may seek refuge in the Father, through the death of His Son.-Zwingle. |